Presenting Methods for Joining a Virtual Meeting

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: at a server, receiving from a client application of a first user device a request for links to join an online meeting, the first user device including the client application running on an operating system and being operated by a participant of the online meeting other than a meeting organizer of the online meeting, the request including a machine readable meeting identifier of the online meeting, a meeting organizer identifier that represents the meeting organizer of the online meeting, and information indicating a type of the first user device, user settings of the first user device, and installed applications on the first user device that relate to online meeting technology; at the server, determining whether the meeting organizer identifier included in the request is recognized by searching meeting organizer information stored on the server; at the server, responsive to determining that the meeting organizer identifier is not recognized, preventing the first user device from joining the online meeting; at the server, responsive to determining the meeting organizer identifier is recognized, determining whether an online meeting having meeting information with a machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable meeting identifier included in the request exists; at the server, responsive to determining that an online meeting having meeting information with the machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable meeting identifier included in the request does exist, determining which of one or more join methods the first user device could use to join the online meeting based on the information included in the request and supported join methods indicated in the meeting information of the online meeting stored on the server; and sending, by the server and to the first user device, a message causing the client application on the first user device to display a user interface integrated with the operating system of the first user device that presents a list of links, each link on the list of links used to launch one of the determined one or more join methods that the first user device can use to join the online meeting and initiating a call to the server using a launched one of the determined one or more join methods in order for the first user device to join the online meeting, wherein for each user device requesting to join the online meeting the server determines supported join methods for that requesting user device and provides a uniform user interface similar to the user interface displayed on the first user device by integrating the uniform user interface to different operating systems running on each of the requesting user devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information included in the request further includes location information of the first user device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining which of the one or more join methods the first user device could use further includes identifying one of a plurality of join methods to be used as a default when joining online meetings.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sending includes sending information indicating one or more software applications that are available for installation on the first user device for joining the online meeting.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sending includes sending to the first user device information to cause the first user device to display a graphical element indicating a single join method to use for joining the online meeting.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sending includes sending to the first user device information to cause the first user device to display a menu of one or more additional join methods to use for joining the online meeting.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received as a text message from the first user device, the text message including the machine readable meeting identifier, and further comprising: dialing out a telephone call to the first user device to establish a telephone connection to the first user device in order to enable a user of the first user device to participate by audio in the online meeting.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received as a text message from the first user device, the text message including the machine readable meeting identifier and further comprising: sending back to the first user device a text message that includes a telephone number to dial in order to participate by audio in the online meeting.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending includes sending to the first user device information to cause the first user device to integrate and display the determined one or more join methods into a calendar notification.

10. An apparatus comprising: a network interface unit configured to enable network communications; and a processor coupled to the network interface unit, and configured to: receive from a client application of a first user device a request for links to join an online meeting, the first user device including the client application running on an operating system and being operated by a participant of the online meeting other than a meeting organizer of the online meeting, the request including a machine readable meeting identifier of the online meeting, a meeting organizer identifier that represents the meeting organizer of the online meeting, and information indicating a type of the first user device, user settings of the first user device, and installed applications on the first user device that relate to online meeting technology; determine whether the meeting organizer identifier included in the request is recognized by searching for meeting organizer information stored on the server; responsive to determining that the meeting organizer identifier is not recognized, prevent the first user device from joining the online meeting; responsive to determining the meeting organizer identifier is recognized, determine whether an online meeting having meeting information exists with a machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable meeting identifier included in the request exists; responsive to determining that an online meeting having meeting information with the machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable meeting identifier included in the request does exist, determine which of one or more join method the first user device could use to join the online meeting based on the information included in the request and supported join methods indicated in the meeting information of the online meeting stored on the apparatus; and send to the first user device a message causing the client application on the first user device to display a user interface integrated with the operating system of the first user device that presents a list of links, each link on the list of links used to launch one of the determined one or more join methods that the first user device can use to join the online meeting and initiate a call to the server using a launched one of the determined one or more join methods in order for the first user device to join the online meeting, wherein for each user device requesting to join the online meeting the server determines supported join methods for that requesting user device and provides a uniform user interface similar to the user interface displayed on the first user device by integrating the uniform user interface to different operating systems running on each of the requesting user devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the information included in the request further includes location information of the first user device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to identify one of a plurality of join methods to be used as a default when joining online meetings.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to send to the first user device information to cause the first user device to display a graphical element indicating a single join method to use for joining the online meeting.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to send to the first user device information to cause the first user device to display a menu of one or more additional join methods to use for joining the online meeting.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to send to the first user device information to cause the first user device to integrate and display the determined one or more join methods into a calendar notification.

16. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: at a server, receive from a client application of a first user device a request for links to join an online meeting, the first user device including the client application running on an operating system and being operated by a participant of the online meeting other than a meeting organizer of the online meeting, the request including a machine readable meeting identifier of the online meeting, a meeting organizer identifier that represents the meeting organizer of the online meeting, and information indicating a type of the first user device, user settings of the first user device, and installed applications on the first user device that relate to online meeting technology; at the server, determine whether the meeting organizer identifier included in the request is recognized by searching for meeting organizer information stored on the server; at the server, responsive to determining that the meeting organizer identifier is not recognized, prevent the first user device from joining the online meeting; at the server, responsive to determining the meeting organizer identifier is recognized, determine whether an online meeting having meeting information with a machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable meeting identifier included in the request exists; at the server, responsive to determining that an online meeting having meeting information with the machine readable meeting identifier that matches the machine readable identifier included in the request does exist, determine which of one or more join method the first user device could use to join the online meeting based on the information included in the request and supported join methods indicated in the meeting information of the online meeting stored on the server; and send, by the server and to the first user device, a message causing the client application on the first user device to display a user interface integrated with the operating system of the first user device that presents a list of links, each link on the list of links used to launch one of the determined one or more join methods that the first user device can use to join the online meeting and initiate a call to the server using a launched one of the determined one or more join methods in order for the first user device to join the online meeting, wherein for each user device requesting to join the online meeting the server determines supported join methods for that requesting user device and provides a uniform user interface similar to the user interface displayed on the first user device by integrating the uniform user interface to different operating systems running on each of the requesting user devices.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to send include instructions to cause the processor to send to the first user device information to cause the first user device to display a menu of one or more additional join methods to use for joining the online meeting.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the information included in the request further includes location information of the first user device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to send include instructions to cause the processor to send to the first user device information indicating one or more software applications that are available for installation on the first user device for joining the online meeting.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the request is received as a text message from the first user device, the text message including the machine readable meeting identifier, and further comprising instructions to cause the processor to: dial out a telephone call to the first user device to establish a telephone connection to the first user device in order to enable a user of the first user device to participate by audio in the online meeting.